Bottom bouncing for winter springs

[Fisherman Rob]

Can anyone explain bottom bouncing for winter springs? Are you really bouncing your downrigger ball on the bottom? How far from the ball do you clip the line on?

 

[Fish Assassin]

Go 2.5 mph drop gear till it hits bottom. 2 min. later go drop it again till it hits bottom.

My release clips are 4ft up from the ball

 

[scott craven]

You need to know the bottom well, pay close attention to structure
or you can lose a lot of cannonballs

 

[Fisherman Rob]

Thanks for the quick response! I would think this can only be done on a sandy bottom, as in this part of Oak Bay Flats?

 

[scott craven]

Yes, be careful of Brodie rock
otherwise you're good to go.

 

[4bouys]

Good question - still a rookie but I have also wondered if it is really worth it to be right on the bottom. As I fish in Sidney a lot, I have lost a lot of cannonballs to junk on the bottom, sudden current change, or those damn lines strung between commy crab traps. I also have to check for weeds more often.

Since a flasher is going to have a 3 - 5 foot rotation, and fish can see for quite a distance, does it really make a difference if you are bouncing rather than 10 feet up? Do winter springs need to be bonked on the head with a cannonball before they will bite?

 

[Fish Assassin]

Go ahead, go 10 feet off, dam go 20..... Do what you want but it's not bottom bouncing for winters.

I don't even look at my counter on the rigger, I just go to the bottom. That's bottom bouncing

 

[4bouys]

Go ahead, go 10 feet off, dam go 20..... Do what you want but it's not bottom bouncing for winters.

I don't even look at my counter on the rigger, I just go to the bottom. That's bottom bouncing

Thanks, got it. I guess what I am wondering is do you seasoned guys experience more success bottom bouncing than you would at 10-15 feet up?

 

[Fish Assassin]

That's why we do it

 

[Prairie Locked]

I've also had good success with this in the summer as well.

Depending on your location, a fringe benefit is the potential for incidental hali's as well.

 

[Bait&Sea]

My side of the boat I'll bounce bottom with one line at the ball as well as stack a second line 15' above. I get plenty on the lower line but I cant remember ever hooking a winter on my top rod, yet my buddy on the other side of the boat catches em with his ball/line 10-20' off the bottom. Maybe my lower flasher spooks em away from my top line making it useless?

 

[Rum Buddies]

Go ahead, go 10 feet off, dam go 20..... Do what you want but it's not bottom bouncing for winters.

I don't even look at my counter on the rigger, I just go to the bottom. That's bottom bouncing

FA has it right! Sometimes I'll be running 200' of line just to hit bottom when the depth sounder says 120'. Just drop until you hit bottom then crank up 5' and keep touching bottom every 5 mins. I believe kicking up sand also brings fish in, makes it look like another fish is feeding IMO.

 

[seadna]

FA has it right! Sometimes I'll be running 200' of line just to hit bottom when the depth sounder says 120'. Just drop until you hit bottom then crank up 5' and keep touching bottom every 5 mins. I believe kicking up sand also brings fish in, makes it look like another fish is feeding IMO.

I agree - it would be interesting sometime to collect data on how many strikes come within x-seconds/minutes of the ball hitting the bottom. I've found that strikes are often shortly after the ball hits the bottom.

 

[rockdog]

Yup. Don't worry about the depth on the sounder, it's just a reference point in the winter spring game. Straight to the bottom, pick up the slack on the rod. Wait 2 mins, exactly as FA said, then touch bottom again. I check to make sure I'm on the bottom every 5 mins, or if I've noticed the depth change. Every time I touch bottom, I come up two or 3 feet on the rigger. My release clip is attached halfway up my snubber. So, 8 -12 inches up on the ball.
I only winter fish like this in places I know well. The places I fish, are free of debris and traps and stuff on the bottom. So I don't lose any cannonballs.

 

[Rum Buddies]

I agree - it would be interesting sometime to collect data on how many strikes come within x-seconds/minutes of the ball hitting the bottom. I've found that strikes are often shortly after the ball hits the bottom.

Good point, you get a lot of good strikes just as your bringing it up off bottom, if it's slow I'll try and kick up some dust by bouncing up and down on bottom. Seems to work...

 

[Humpbubble]

Ive had good success this winter running a dummy flasher off the ball 3' back and my lure clipped off the top of the snubber.sure nice fighting just the fish and yes,stay close to bottom (and your rigger button!) this only works with lures that produce their own action..spoons,teaser heads,juggs..
Did not produce as well as inline off the other side of the boat this past summer..a summer id like to forget about anyhow!

If you manage to get snagged,hit your second rigger up,have your buddy let the snagged rigger out while you double back way past where u got caught up..most times i have saved my gear.only when the current is too fast,or i was too slow in getting back upstream of the snag has a loss happened..same with jigging for hali and snagging,you gotta get on it fast 180 untill most of your line is out,or a 45 and yank

 

[Karma-Kazi]

I like to bump my boat in and out of gear letting both balls drop into the mud and then gunning the kicker and taking off. I find alot of my strikes are just as I take off.

 

[Rum Buddies]

I like to bump my boat in and out of gear letting both balls drop into the mud and then gunning the kicker and taking off. I find alot of my strikes are just as I take off.

nice tip! Like a needle fish wiggling out of the sand and taking off.

 

[drmadcow]

Thanks for the quick response! I would think this can only be done on a sandy bottom, as in this part of Oak Bay Flats?
View attachment 15590

We tend to bounce the bottom on the contour below Brodie, but we've definitely caught Chinook in the area you have circled.

 

[JuandeOne]

I think it is safe to say that any dusting up of the silt which may cause needlefish to be dislodged from their hiding spots is an ultimate feeding trigger for a foraging chinook.